Improved oyster-knife



UNITED STATES PATENT CEEICEo PHILOS BLAKE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IIVIPROVED OYSTER-KNIFE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 10,798, dated April 18, 1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, PHILOS BLAKE, of New Haven, in the count-y of New Haven, in the State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Knife for Opening Oysters called the Oyster-Knife; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon.

My improvement consists in combinin g with the oyster-knife twovparallel cheeks or lips, (firmly secured to the shank near the heel of the blade,) between which cheeks the nose or thin end of the oyster may be inserted, and by a prying or twisting` motion broken oft', in order to present an opening for the entrance of the blade of the knife.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

The accompanying drawing represents, in perspective, my improved oyster-knife in full size.

A is the handle, and B the blade, both of which are in the usual form. C and D are the cheeks or lips which are to be used in breaking the noses of the oysters. Thesel may be forged in one piece with the shank and blade, or may be made separately and secured to the shank by rivetingor otherwise.

The mode of using theimproved instrument will be sufficiently obvious from the drawing and what precedes.

I am aware that the noses of oysters have been broken in order to give entrance to the knife by inserting them between the tines of a common fork or other similar instrument, and therefore I do not claim the use of parallel cheeks for this purpose; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Combining the said cheeks with the knifein one instrument, whereby the opening of oysters is accomplished with greater ease and expedition.

PHILOS BLAKE.

Witnesses:

ELI W. BLAKE, I). HOWARD BLAKE. 

